What is with the Gibson Les Paul craze?

[kotornut]

Originally Posted by elcid

Thanks to people whining the chamber Les Pauls now. They also offer the Goddess or Vixen or something, which is a girls Les Paul. Maybe you can try that.

What is that supposed to mean?

I'm not a girl.

I'm just too big to sit comfortably with one.

[David McCarroll]

Originally Posted by Falcon Wing

Thanks for ID-ing the guitar guys. What model is made NOW that is as close to that as possible??

The picture is of Gary Numan. The guitar actually BROKE into several pieces during that show after having been repaired multiple times over the years.

The closest model is the occasionally re-released Custom Shop Les Paul Deluxe oddly enough - next closest is the Custom Shop '56 Goldtop Reissue, as Les Paul Deluxe pickups drop directly into a P90 sized hole. For anyone who might be interested, the Les Paul Deluxe in its original form was not really a terribly good guitar at all, they grew out of what i believe was Gibson's first Les Peul Reissue - the 1968 reissue of a '56 Goldtop - that was the first time (I believe) that the traditional single cutaway Les Paul shape had been seen since 1960 - these guitars are fantastic. However, for some reason, Gibson decided to do an "updated" version of this guitar (they were most likely using body blanks that had been sitting around since 1956!) with mini-humbuckers - these are actually Epiphone pickups, and are thinner, treblier and lower output than standard Gibson humbuckers.

The Deluxe was a cheapie - the first ones were fine (1969), however as time went on, thsy got "pancake" bodies, with two thin Mahogany pieces glued together with a thin layer of something else between them - they went to a three piece Maple top (as did Les Paul Customs around this time), the carving of the top became sort of convex rather than dished - the headstock angle changed from 14 degress to something daft like 7 degrees (no doubt in an attempt to stop people braking the headstock off), the actual headstock itself was absolutely huge, then in about 1975/76 Gibson wished the ultimate insult on Les Pauls by putting Maple necks on them, instead of Mahogany - these ones are really very ordinary guitars indeed.

By contrast, the Custom Shop reissues which appear from time to time are superbly well built, they have a proper 14 degree headstock angle and a fifties sized headstock, one piece Mahogany neck, one piece mahogany body with usually a nicely flamed two piece Maple cap - all round a very sweet guitar.

If you honestly want a Deluxe, you would be far better trying to find one of the Custom Shop reissues, rather than an original seventies Deluxe - in the latter case you'd be paying quasi-vintage money for what was unfortunately usually a real clunker of a Les Paul....

... and in case anyone feels I am being unfair, I OWNED one for about five years - it was ghastly, and only really redeemed by having been retrofitted with P90s and refretted badly with 6100 fretwire, so I got it absurdly cheap in the first place.

[Tank]

Originally Posted by Falcon Wing

Thanks for ID-ing the guitar guys. What model is made NOW that is as close to that as possible??

The picture is of Gary Numan. The guitar actually BROKE into several pieces during that show after having been repaired multiple times over the years.

I really love Gary Numan, this guy influenced me A LOT. But he is not a good player at all hehe But he is honest about it and will tell you when you meet him in person and ask about guitar stuff.

Funny things is that he influenced so much people and bands that are commercially much more successful than him. (Nine Inch Nails, Fear Factory,...)

[David McCarroll]

Yeah Numan (and Tubeway Army) are great - who cares how well he plays guitar - songs like Down in the Park make him well worth a listen - bit like Depeche Mode when they stopped being bubblegum popsters and became one of the darkest bands around.

[guitarsnroses]

First off I love Ibanez jems I own 2 as well as a Gibson les paul custom
I think something that should be considered is that the Les Paul is a beautiful guitar thats a truly unique style in its on as well as the jem.
Saying that they are holding a les paul in guitar world makes them a sell out to guitar center? I bet also you shop at wal mart which is a big business retailer. How did the guitar center set up make you think ibanez was inferior? because its cheaper? American guitars are usually higher than imported guitars and this does not by any means one is better than the other.
Technology has evolved as well. Gibson has stood the test of time "if it isn't broke don't fix it" is the way they work while Ibanez pushed technology.
A les paul is a fine guitar thats can deal out heavy fat hot metal and look like a classic thats acceptable for every genre of music. Gibson offers a slim tapered neck which is pretty fast playing as well as the fat ones.
22 or 24 frets? more isn't always better. The neck pickups in the 22 fret guitar sound a lot more muddy than the 24 fret guitars for better or worse.

I live in Memphis tn and ive seen the Gibson factory here first hand and i can say their quality isn't the greatest but a nice les paul is hard to bad tone wise period.

To think that a les paul is sign of being biased towards guitar center or endorsements is utter trash. Sounds like a bit of jealousy or a simple fact of life that not everyone likes the same thing and you shouldn't down them.

Some guys like guys... if we all liked that same things and that was the case id be pretty sad and would die a virgin.. life would be very dull

[Texter]

Built and designed by and for monkeys. That's how I qualify the Les Paul.

[wilch]

lol @ Texter!

[Eggy]

Originally Posted by Texter

Built and designed by and for monkeys. That's how I qualify the Les Paul.

Wow! What a moronic thing to say although the fact that you don't like them means they must be cool.

[Texter]

Originally Posted by Eggy

Wow! What a moronic thing to say although the fact that you don't like them means they must be cool.

No...it'll only spare you a 500+ word rant on everything I don't like about the Les Paul. And I own a SG, which is twice as cool, hence the double cutaway.

[JJEMMER777]

Hey isn't that you Cid???


Jeeze.......I swear you guys will be tasking each other until the end of time over this Les Palms issue

Personally (and I am entitled to my own opinion) I don't care for them. To me it's an overrated overpriced awkward heavy guitar with a plank of wood for a neck! I just don't like the way the LP's feel unatural to play!

But then I learned on a lowly cheap strat so what do I know???

[RCB]

The new Gibson Les Paul Studio Vintage Mahogany is pretty good value. It comes with the same pups as the standard (burstbuckers) and the worn brown finish is pretty cool.

At 900 bucks you cant go wrong with it.

I love Studios because they are affordable and have all the important features. The are the "RG 2570" of the Gibson Line up.

I agree that the Standards, and other high en models offer poor value, but the same is true for the jem, so what's the big deal?

The guys that pays 2500 for a scaled up standard or a custom wants to own "that" specific guitar, just like the guy that buys a 77vbk want's that specific guitar.

I really like them. They are among the most comforable guitars (provided that you wont be playing in the last 2 or 3 frets a lot). They have a distinctive sound, and (to me) they are a beautifull and timeless design.

Today I'm selling my studio, but that's only because I have 2 other custom made Les Paul that are much better (nothing wrong with the gibson though!).

[Hikey Mikey]

Originally Posted by RCB

The new Gibson Les Paul Studio Vintage Mahogany is pretty good value. It comes with the same pups as the standard (burstbuckers) and the worn brown finish is pretty cool.

At 900 bucks you cant go wrong with it.

I love Studios because they are affordable and have all the important features. . . .

I agree. If I were to buy a Les Paul, it would be the studio.

It took me a while to figure out the model distinctions. Studio, standard, custom, ultra, blah blah blah, it's so confusing, but the studio at $1100 seems to be the best deal when compared to the $2000 and up models. And yeah, the Studio Vintage you mentioned is a deal.

[Triggerman9]

""It's undoubtable that the LP is an excellent guitar""



I think it was an excellent guitar in its day... and that day is undoubtably carried on by a fewgreat players that know that the LP is the guitar for them and millions of others who just want to be sound alikes.

[wilch]

Originally Posted by Eggy

Wow! What a moronic thing to say although the fact that you don't like them means they must be cool.

Come on, what he said was so out there it was hilarious. To me anyway and I don't even have anything against LP's.

[waylay00]

Originally Posted by Texter

Built and designed by and for monkeys. That's how I qualify the Les Paul.

Wow, what an unfathomably idiotic statement!